Review “Pippin” (Broadway in Chicago): Heart-warming and Sexy with Mystifying Moves

Ey5QBOWMDDzamZbfrtwAe9FGysOcsB2zzRCL1x3LFsmrana4ycWesgRF8LC5EEqgkBroadway in Chicago presents the Tony Award-winning musical PIPPIN for a limited two week engagement.

This unconventional show looks like a circus, sounds like a musical and acts like burlesque.  Among the lovely and peppy harmonies are feats of amazement and  risqué flirtations.

At the core, Pippin, a young prince (played by Sam Lips), is searching for the meaning of his life.  His existentialist crisis unfolds on a stage.  Literally, he is an actor playing a prince playing an actor. His life is being narrated and shaped by the Leading Player (played by Sasha Allen).  As Allen, a cross between a circus barker and dominatrix, energetically cracks the whip, a beguiling Lips follows his whims, sows his oats and finds his way.

At first glance, the story seems fairly straight-forward.  Yet, the life struggle is both simplistically and metaphysically illustrated.  The Prince coming-of-age fairytale is complete with evil stepmother queen (played deliciously by Sabrina Harper).  Then there is a layer of grass-roots romance between Lips and a country widow (played by the lovely grounded Kristine Reese).  And intertwined throughout is Allen driving the theatrics.  Allen navigates Lips’ encounters like a marveling three ring circus.  She   seductively entices Lips to go for the bigger dramatic moment… the razzle dazzle finale. 

Allen and other characters often break the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience.  It adds to the charm of this quirky tale by including the audience in the princely metamorphosis.  In the showstopping scene, Adrienne Barbeau (Berthe) goads the audience to sing the chorus during her solo.  It’s not the audience that makes the song unforgettable.  It’s 70 year old Barbeau.  Barbeau, who I remember from the TV show “Maude” in the 70s, is Pippin’s grandmother.  She sings “No time at all” to Lips as a motivational anthem to go-get-a-life.  The song has depth and wit.  It also has Barbeau singing and swinging upside down and hanging from an aerialist.  Barbeau captivates the entire theatre and is rewarded with thunderous applause following the song.  (She is also the talk of the ladies‘ line during intermission as people murmur ‘that Adrienne Barbeau.’)

PIPPIN is magical!  The dynamic ensemble is remarkable.  They sing.  They dance.  They defy gravity.  And tickle realism.  An extremely tall man climbs on top of multiple moving parts to do a slip-and-slide.  Aerialists continually suspend from silks and a center ring.  And a pair of legs sans torso walks across the stage. Between all the marveling circus feats (created by Gypsy Snider) and Fosse-inspired choreography (choreographer Chet Walker), this musical is gawkable yet still up-lifting.  It’s the musical “Fish” meets “Cabaret” with plenty of Cirque du Soliel flare.  Heart-warming and sexy with mystifying moves.                  

Running Time:  Two hours and forty-five minutes with one intermission

At Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph

Book by Roger O. Hirson

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Orchestrations by Larry Hochman

Music supervision and arrangements by Nadia DiGiallonardo

Circus creation by Gypsy Snider

Choreography by Chet Walker 

Directed by Diane Paulus

Thursdays at 2pm and 7:30pm

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays at 7:30pm

Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm

Sundays at 2pm and 7:30pm

Thru August 9th

Buy Tickets at www.BroadwayinChicago.com

For more reviews and information on Chicago theatre, visit Theatre in Chicago.

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